Workers are factories and construction sites are exposed to different kinds of objects and chemicals on a daily basis that can cause a number of different diseases and problems that can hinder their work productivity, health, and overall life-span. To prevent these problems, it’s important for every employee to invest in PPE. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few different work-related skin problems, and the kind of PPE you need to protect yourself from them.
1. Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a common problem in industries such as catering, cleaning, metalwork, hairdressing, healthcare, etc. The problem develops when a person works with solvents, cleaning agents, and other irritants. The reaction to the condition includes redness, inflammation, blisters, rashes, dry skin, and cracked skin.
The best way to get rid of this horrible skin condition is to properly wash your hands, then take a good amount of time to dry them. Use soft soap that won’t strip away essential oils from your skin. Furthermore, using the right kind of workplace protective equipment can help prevent your hands from contracting such conditions.
As such, it’s mandatory you choose gloves that allow your skin to breathe and evaporate sweat with ease. Because your skin will become damage-prone if constantly moist and sweaty. The AQUA gloves from ELC can help you in this regard.
2. Calluses:
People in some fields of work, like guitarists and weightlifters, treat developing calluses as a matter of pride. But most people don’t agree with this line of thinking and find them unsightly and painful, for good reason. Hence, wearing work protective gloves is the easiest way to prevent calluses.
If you’re involved in tasks that put your hands in a lot of friction, like lumbar or material handling, you may risk developing calluses without proper PPE. Therefore, you’ll need proper protective equipment that’s been manufactured with goatskin; gloves made by this material have a cut-resistant string-knit surface, making for better mobility and breathability compared to full leather gloves.
3. Tetanus:
Tetanus is characterized by muscle spasms, that typically starts with the jaw and then proceed to the rest of the body. The issue is caused by your skin getting punctured and exposed to a dirty object like a nail or needle, etc. This can end up in spasms, breathing issues, and even heart attacks. While this isn’t exactly a skin problem, it does start when your skin is punctured, commonly in the hands or feet.
Although a tetanus shot can fight the infection, 10% of people that contract this disease are at risk of dying. And since we don’t know which object at the workplace may expose your skin to tetanus, it’s mandatory to prevent that by using the right PPE that can keep you safe from punctures of this and other skin diseases. The ARCEXTREME gloves from ELC can help you in this regard, as they’re stitched with Kevlar and have a puncture-resistant layer that can protect your skin from hypodermic needles that can cause tetanus.
4. Heat Burns:
According to OSHA, about 5,000 workers are hospitalized every year because of heat burns, with 200 of them being injured fatally, even though most of these injuries are preventable entirely.
There are different kinds of gloves available to ensure you stay safe from heat burns, and in order to protect yourself, you need to assess the level of heat your skin’s exposed to every day, in order to choose the gloves that would work best for you.
5. Cement Burns
Cement burns are another major problem faced by people working in construction sites or factories that deal with materials like cement and other concrete; every kind of product with cement i.e. mortar, plaster, tile grout, etc. can burn your skin. Cement contains calcium oxide, and while that’s not harmful on its own, it turns harmful after being mixed with water and becoming calcium hydroxide. And unprotected exposure to this substance leads to severe chemical burns and skin irritation and other problems.
To stay safe from this problem, you need to invest in breathable gloves that can provide you with the protection your hands need.
It’s important that you check your hands regularly for signs of itchy or dry skin that might indicate contracting a skin disease. The earlier you recognize the effects on your skin, the quicker you can get them treated and the faster you’ll recover. And to stay safe in the future, use the right kind of PPE to prevent exposure to skin problems.
